1. Field of the Present Invention
This application relates generally to online communities and more specifically to providing a multi-lingual online community.
2. Related Art
Currently, the Internet, including the World-Wide Web (WWW), is used to publish material written in many languages. This material includes news articles, essays, blog posts, community discussion groups, business and shopping websites, and the like. In some instances, this material is posted in multiple languages. For example, an international hotel chain may publish multiple versions of a website in languages in which its guests are likely to communicate. For example, a hotel chain in Europe may post the same website in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Romanian. When a guest accesses the website, the guest may be given an opportunity to select a preferred language. The hotel website may then download a “cookie” to the guest's computer indicating the preferred language so that when the guest subsequently visits the website, the corresponding version of the website is automatically displayed.
The Internet has further enabled people to meet and communicate with one another in online communities. Online communities, such as Digg, Deli.ci.ous, StumbledUpon, and Ars Technica enable members to provide content in the form of original articles and posts within discussion groups. Further, a member may provide a link to material posted by a third party. Other members may, in turn, comment on the material. For example, a member may provide a link to a blog posted on the Internet. After reading the material, another member may post a comment in reaction to the article. Further, other members may post additional comments in reaction to the comments posted by the members. In some communities, members can vote on or rate the articles posted in the communities.
In online communities, all of the members typically need to speak the same language in order to have meaningful discussions. Currently, this condition results in online communities that are segregated based on language. For example, an English speaker can not meaningfully participate in an Arabic-speaking online community and vice-versa. Further, membership in online communities is limited to members who speak the language of the community.